Retired Bryan educator named STAR Teacher at Griffin High School

Thursday

May 10, 2012 at 12:36 AM

Diane Stewart

Barbara White probably never thought she'd be named a STAR Teacher after she retired from a career education in 2009. But that changed this year when a student she taught 12 years ago, Jacquelynn Harmon, a senior at Griffin High School in Spalding County, won that school's STAR Student award; and, in turn named White, her first-grade teacher at Lanier Primary School, her STAR Teacher

"Shocked, but proud and honored," was how White described her feelings when she received a telephone call from Joseph Kelly, a counselor at Griffin High, informing her that Harmon had selected her.

"Usually the student selects a high school teacher, but I must have done something that stuck in her mind. She is very smart, above smart. I remember asking her mother if she realized how smart her child was. She had an eagerness to learn and was always asking questions - a truly gifted child," White said.

White made a trip to Griffin to attend a banquet sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Spalding County to honor the chosen STARs. During the banquet, Kelly recalled the day he met Harmon.

"It was the day she enrolled at Griffin High School. She asked me what AP courses we offered, and as I began to list the AP courses, she repeatedly replied, 'taken it.' Jacquelynn is indeed a star student in addition to being our STAR Student. Her academic record is stellar, and her resolve to be successful in every realm of her life is unwavering," he said. "By the way, we managed to enroll her in three AP classes, and she is excelling in all of them."

Harmon's comments about her selection of White reflect her feeling about the Black Creek resident's influence on her life.

"When I first was told that I was STAR Student, I was very proud of my accomplishment," Harmon said. "Then Mr. Kelly told me I could pick a teacher to share this recognition. I knew immediately which teacher to choose - my first grade teacher, Mrs. White.

"The reason she was the first educator - after 12 (years) of schooling - to come to mind is that she is not like most teachers," Harmon continued. "Most teachers teach you for a year, and that's it; however, Mrs. White has had a much bigger impact on my life. She was also my Sunday school teacher. Not only did she build my educational foundation, but she also helped me grow spiritually and love Jesus. As I grow older, she still keeps contact with me. Each year, until she retired, I would go to Lanier Primary when school started again just to visit Mrs. White. I want to thank her for all she has done to shape me into the person I am today. She deserved to be recognized."